Officers at Odds Over DNA Samples

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Suspects in St. Louis aren't the only ones being asked to provide DNA samples. Increasingly, the city police department is collecting genetic information from officers in an effort to eliminate unknown genetic profiles collected from crime scenes and improve chances of successful prosecutions.

But many officers don't like it. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the St. Louis Police Officers' Association plans to file a grievance on behalf of its 1,200 members. They say some have been asked to submit DNA samples without being told why.

Police Chief Dan Isom estimates that 400 to 500 officers - about one-third of the department - have submitted samples.